EU, Alcohol policy, the King, Whale Hunting. A List of Dead Political Debates in Norway.

Many foreigners believe that almost any political change is possible in a democracy like Norway, and they are right in theory. But in practice some debates are just dead in Norway and political parties don’t even fight for them. Most of the time it is because there is a general consensus in the population that no change is wished for. they are listed in their … Continue reading EU, Alcohol policy, the King, Whale Hunting. A List of Dead Political Debates in Norway.

The 10 Golden Rules of Being Pregnant in Norway

Illustration: Tori Lind Kjellstad, all rights reserved. Learn pregnant-Norwegian. You learned Norwegian, nynorsk or bokmål, but now that you are pregnant, words you’ve never heard before pop out of nowhere. In my case despite living and working here for 10 years and speaking fluent Norwegian, I had never heard the word bekkenløsning (pelvic pain in English, which in Norwegian is “lose pelvic floor”). I also believed … Continue reading The 10 Golden Rules of Being Pregnant in Norway

Should Nazi-supporters be on the agenda of Norway’s biggest political week? The story of Lysglimt at Arendalsuka.

Have you heard of Arendalsuka? Arendal is a small town in the south of Norway. A friend of mine who was living there told me there are three reasons to like Arendal: June, July and August. And it is precisely in August every year that all important Norwegian journalists, politicians, companies and organisations meet in Arendal for a week of meetings, podcasts, public announcements and … Continue reading Should Nazi-supporters be on the agenda of Norway’s biggest political week? The story of Lysglimt at Arendalsuka.

Is Norway a Communist Country?

This is an assumption many non-Norwegians make, especially from North America. Here is a list of points that might make people believe Norway is a communist country: Norway has free education including higher education. University students even get a scholarship and a loan (from Lånekassen) on top of university being free. Norway can be seen as a “nanny state”, where many policies might seem to be interfering … Continue reading Is Norway a Communist Country?

Is Norway about to Make Abortion Illegal? Understanding Norway’s Hottest Political Debate

If you live in Norway you might have noticed a lot of headlines about a guy called Knut Arild Hareide, the head of KrF aka The Christian Democrats Party. (If you are lacking behind in terms of Norwegian political parties read this: Norwegian Politics for Dummies and Clueless Foreigners.) This is Knut Arild Hareide: You might have also noticed from the media and angry Facebook … Continue reading Is Norway about to Make Abortion Illegal? Understanding Norway’s Hottest Political Debate

http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/Terror%20in%20Norway_137247

When the Roses turned Black. Seven years after Utøya Survivors Receive Hatred and Death Threats.

I remember vividly, like all Norwegians and foreigners living in Norway back then, where I was during the Utøya attacks. Especially because I had walked passed the car Anders Behring Breivik had hidden a bomb in 15 minutes before it exploded. He was targeting the Prime Minister’s office in Regjeringskvartalen in the centre of Oslo. My office happened to be just behind that building. The bomb … Continue reading When the Roses turned Black. Seven years after Utøya Survivors Receive Hatred and Death Threats.

10 surprising reasons as to why Trump wants Norwegians to immigrate to the US

A few days ago, Trump (President of the US for those not following) has said that the US would rather not accept immigrants from “shit holes” but rather from countries like Norway. Here are 10 reasons I believe he wants them to immigrate. Keep in mind this is a satire (wink wink): There is no Obamacare in Norway (there is something else way better but … Continue reading 10 surprising reasons as to why Trump wants Norwegians to immigrate to the US

Environment: The End of Norway’s Double Standard?

I am often asked by foreigners whether Norway is a champion or a devil when it comes to environmental protection. I can’t blame them, Norway seems schizophrenic on the topic of environment. On the one hand Norway has this image of champion at protecting the environment, with pictures of fjords and pure water to advertise for its country, which is undoubtedly one of the most … Continue reading Environment: The End of Norway’s Double Standard?

Understanding the 2017 National Norwegian Elections – for confused foreigners.

In case you have not noticed, Norway will be electing its Prime Minister next week on Monday the 11th of September. The last time this kind of election took place in Norway it was 4 years ago, and back then I was just understanding which colour was associated to which party. Although I still don’t have the right to vote in this election (you need … Continue reading Understanding the 2017 National Norwegian Elections – for confused foreigners.

Simone Veil, den mektigste franske feministen siden Simone de Beauvoir, døde forrige fredag.

Husk: Simone Weil (1909-1943) var en fransk filosof – en mange forveksler med Simone Veil (1927-2017). En annen Simone (de Beauvoir) var også filosof.  De hadde samme fornavn – Simone – et vanlig navn å gi franske jentebarn født i første del av det 20. århundre.  Hun jeg skriver om heter Simone Veil, og hun var politiker. Forrige fredag, 30. juni, lyttet jeg til et program … Continue reading Simone Veil, den mektigste franske feministen siden Simone de Beauvoir, døde forrige fredag.